An Overview of NICET Certification The National institute for certification in engineering technologies (NICET) An Overview of NICET Certification

What’s on the Agenda History & Background What’s the Value in Certification? Personnel Qualifications & Certification How Do I Become Certified? What’s Next for NICET? Questions

History & Background

Over 50 Years of Proven Performance Division of the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE). 100% financial independence and self-supporting. Annual budget over $4,000,000. Offer 25 certification programs. Over 135,000 technicians certified to date. Over 40,000 active certificants. Over 11,000 exams administered in 2014. National test center network. Conversion of major programs to computer-based testing (CBT) by 2017.

Purpose Provide nationally-applicable, voluntary certification programs covering specialized engineering technology fields & subfields

Goals of Certification Programs Produce exams and certification programs that are: Valid Reliable Fair Legally defensible Valid: the test should be an accurate depiction of what candidates need to know in order to qualify for their certification or license; test content should accurately reflect the tasks and concepts required to perform the job appropriately   Reliable: measurement of the exams should be consistent from item to item, form to form, and exam to exam (difficulty levels, scoring, equating, etc.) Fair: any two candidates of equal ability or knowledge should receive comparable scores despite differences in age, race or ethnicity, gender, geographical location, time of day, etc. Legally defensible: items should be accurately referenced to current literature about the knowledge concepts and accepted task performance practice in the industry

NICET Certifies… Individuals with appropriate engineering technician/technologist work experience Residents of the United States and territories and certain others living abroad Partial credit given for relevant work experience as craftsperson, scientist, engineer, etc.

Certification vs…. … Engineering Practice NICET certification DOES NOT entitle certificants to practice engineering When not exempted by state law, engineering work performed by engineering technicians/technologists must be under the direct supervision of licensed Professional Engineers (PE)

What’s the Value in Certification?

Value of NICET Certification for the Technician Professional stature Job advancement opportunities Accelerated entry into new job assignments or responsibilities Assignments where NICET certification is a requirement Marketable credential to employers, prospective employers or clients

Value of NICET Certification for the Employer Independent assessment of knowledge and skills based on national industry standards Increases productivity and competitiveness Measures training comprehension and needs Demonstrates employer commitment to competence through ongoing professional development of knowledge, skills, and abilities Nationally recognized credential Mobility of workforce across state lines

Value for the Public Protects the health, safety, and welfare of the public from fraudulent, unethical and technically deficient practitioners Provides high quality engineering products and services, efficiently and at reasonable costs

Personnel Qualification & Certification

Certification Requirements Written examination Relevant work experience Verification of competency by the direct supervisor Professional recommendation (general performance & character reference) at Level III and IV Major Project Involvement at Level IV

Civil Engineering Technicians NICET Technician Programs Building Construction Water/Wastewater Plants Construction Materials Testing Asphalt Concrete Soils Geotechnical Generalist Construction Exploration Laboratory Land Management and Water Control Erosion and Sediment Control Transportation Bridge Safety Inspection Highway Construction Highway Design Highway Materials Highway Surveys Highway Traffic Operations Highway System Maintenance and Preservation Underground Utilities Construction Water and Sewer Lines Stormwater and Wastewater System Inspection

Electrical and Mechanical Systems Engineering Technology Electrical Power Electrical Power Testing* Fire Protection Fire Alarm Systems* Inspection and Testing of Water-Based Systems* Special Hazards Suppression Systems* Water-Based (formerly Automatic Sprinkler) System Layout* Industrial Instrumentation Low Voltage Communications Systems Audio Systems Security Systems Video Security Systems Designer* Video Security Systems Technician* *Denotes the program is in the Standard Model.

Levels of Certification Level I Some relevant work experience Work under constant, direct supervision Level II Minimum of two years relevant work experience Work under general supervision Level III Minimum of five years of relevant work experience Work independently and may supervise others Level IV Minimum of ten years of relevant work experience Supervise and manage work of others Major project involvement Typical certification requirements. Programs may vary.

Recertification Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Accumulate 90 CPD points from: Relevant work experience Continuing education Professional activities Certification activities or a recertification exam Active, Retired, Inactive, Expired Status

How Do I Become Certified?

2-Step Certification Process Written Exam Work Experience Work History Performance Verification Personal Recommendation (Level III & IV) Major Project (Level IV only)

Apply for Certification Paper Application Standard and Work Element Models: http://www.nicet.org/applicationsforms/technician- application-forms/ Online Application for Testing https://candidate.nicet.org/login.aspx

Testing Standard Model CBT Apply through NICET first Select a 90 day eligibility window Schedule location and time with Pearson VUE (http://www.pearsonvue.com/nicet/)

Experience Application Initial review can take up to 90 days from meeting the testing requirement. The timeframe can vary based on the number of application received by NICET. The applications are reviewed in the order they are received. If additional information is required a Conditional Decision Letter (CDL) is issued. Review of CDL response can take up to 60 days. Take the time to make sure all required forms are completed correctly. Keep a copy, for your records, of all documents submitted to NICET.

Training

NICET Does Not Provide Training In order to protect the integrity of the test and to avoid any implication of “teaching to the test” NICET does not offer training. NICET lists references used in development of the exams. Content Outlines or Program Detail Manuals can provide guidance for preparation. Training is not required for certification.

Other Training Sources Any training that teaches the best practices of the industry will help with the NICET exams. NICET does not review or endorse training. There is a list of training providers on NICET’s website. These companies and organizations have either paid to advertise or support NICET certification development.

What’s Next for NICET?

Program Changes Moving away from Work Element to Standard Model. Changing the administration of the test from paper- pencil to CBT.

Programs Currently Under Development Fire Alarm Systems Inspection and Testing Highway Construction Inspection Construction Materials Testing

International Testing Meeting the testing needs of global companies. Under development. Pilot program coming soon.

Resources NICET Policy: http://www.nicet.org/about-us/policies/ NICET Code of Ethics: http://www.nicet.org/about-us/code-of-ethics/ Subscribe to the NICET Newsletter: http://www.nicet.org/about-us/nicet-news/

Questions???

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